


thunderstorm

by yami (blind_man_sun)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Autistic Character, Dissociative Identity Disorder, F/M, Fluff, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-06 22:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10345467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blind_man_sun/pseuds/yami
Summary: There’s a thunderstorm going on outside and it’s only when Rita remembers something Julian told her once (he gets scared easily, he hides) that she starts to get worried.





	

The bed beside her is empty when Rita wakes up. She blinks in the darkness, looks at the alarm clock. The soft blue numbers read 1:51. She slides her hand slightly to the left and finds that the sheets are still warm, which means Julian couldn’t have left too long ago. 

There’s a thunderstorm going on outside, the raindrops smacking against the window glass with surprising ferocity, thunder rumbling deeply in the distance. A sudden bolt of lightning illuminates the room and she winces. It’s only when Rita remembers something Julian told her once ( _he gets scared easily, he hides_ ) that she starts to get worried. She gets out of bed and feels her way to the door, her foot bumping into something soft and warm that squeaks indignantly.

“Hey, you little wrinkle goblin,” she says fondly to Julian’s cat, who’s staring back up at her now, huge eyes glowing in the dark. “Do you know where they are?” Palla lets out a tiny mrrp and rubs her head against Rita’s leg before jumping on the bed and curling up on the covers. 

Guess that’s a no then, Rita thinks. She closes the bedroom door behind her and stands in the quiet stillness for a moment. She likes Julian’s apartment. It’s small and charming and she feels comfortable in it, even in the darkness. Not that she’s ever really been afraid of the dark. She hears thunder in the distance again and for a moment almost imagines the floor moving under her feet. 

She heads towards the little room Julian uses as his study. It’s the quietest place in the apartment and probably where they’d go. She hopes, anyway. The door is slightly open when she gets there and she pushes it open gently. “Julian?” She calls into the room, softly. 

Rita hears a very quiet noise from under the big desk in the center of the room, like someone trying to stifle a gasp. Gotcha. She walks over to it and crouches down. Alchemy’s there, curled up in a ball and wedged into the corner. His eyes are wide and staring, glowing brightly. “There you are,” she says, trying to keep her voice as soothing as possible. She’s only met Alchemy once or twice before, doesn’t know much about him besides what Julian’s said. “I was worried.” She reaches out a hand and drops it when Alchemy flinches away. He’s shaking slightly, and Rita wonders if he’s cold. He’s still wearing the shorts and sports bra Julian had worn to bed. 

“Sorry.” She sits back. “Are you cold? Do you want a blanket?” Alchemy hesitates, and Rita recalls Julian mentioning that he rarely speaks. He stares at her for an almost uncomfortable amount of time before giving the tiniest of nods. “Okay.” She gives him a bright smile. “I’ll be right back, all right? Stay here.” She goes back to the bedroom. Palla’s contentedly napping on the bed and Rita doesn’t have the heart to disturb here. She goes to the closet instead; she knows Julian keeps a couple of extra weighted ones in there. Rita grabs the heaviest one and throws it over her shoulder, stopping to give the cat a quick pat before heading back to the study. 

Alchemy’s still under the desk when she comes back in. He watches her hold out the blanket before taking it hesitantly and wrapping it tight around himself, fingers working the soft fabric. Rita’s relieved to see his shaking calm down a bit. She scoots herself under the desk next to him and Alchemy freezes momentarily, relaxing again only when it’s apparent she’s not going to touch him. 

“Did the storm scare you?” 

“It’s…bad,” he says in response, to Rita’s considerable surprise. She’s never heard him talk before. She’d been half-expecting his voice to be different but he still sounds like Julian.

Is it the thunder?” She asks. “It can’t hurt you, you know. It’s just loud.”

“Not that.” Alchemy pouts at her and Rita has to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling, because he looked adorable for a moment there. “There’s too much.”

“Too much what?”

He pauses, obviously struggling to find the right words. “Just too much,” Alchemy says again. He sounds frustrated and Rita feels bad for asking. There’s another sudden peal of thunder and he yelps, burrowing further into the blanket. Rita feels something bump against her hand and looks down to see Alchemy withdrawing his, only to reach out timidly again a few seconds later. She takes his hand, loosely at first so he can pull away if he wants to, then intertwines their fingers when he doesn’t. His skin is almost burning to the touch. 

“Do you want to go back to the bedroom?” Rita asks, and he shakes his head. “You want to stay here?” A nod. “Okay. Want me to stay too?” Alchemy nods again and squeezes her hand tight. She leans over on an impulse and kisses his forehead. He doesn’t shy away and she’s relieved. She pulls back and sees him blink and blush slightly and can’t hold back her smile at that. 

Rita leans her head against the back to the desk, rubbing little circles on the back of Alchemy’s hand with her thumb. He’s stopped shaking. Julian’s probably going to be embarrassed about this if he remembers, she thinks, but he really shouldn’t be. Because she loves him, and looking at Alchemy now, curled up with a blanket and half-asleep, she thinks she can grow to love him too.

**Author's Note:**

> this is a good & pure ship guys


End file.
